I have a small area to use and need to keep the hive as unobtrusive as possible. I was wondering if it was possible to overwinter a hive in a “Nuc” hive set up by stacking additional nuc bodies and letting the hive grow vertically. I live in Eastern Washington and winters are not overly brutal. I have a metal storage shed that the hive could be kept in during the winter months. Specifically I was looking at this model with and extra body or two.
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/5-Frame-6-5_8-Complete-Nuc/productinfo/682/
I don’t plan to harvest any or maybe just a little bit of honey its mainly going to be a hobby and a way to educate myself until I can afford someplace bigger. Also is it realistically possible to attract a swarm to take up residence or is that more like winning the lottery?
It’s not impossible, but I wouldn’t recommend it. To have a strong hive that can survive the winter, I recommend two full-size (10 frame) boxes. When you’re set up for winter, the lower box should be the one with the queen, and the upper box should be full of honey to winter them over.
Inside a metal building is not a good place for a hive. In the summer it will be too hot, and in the winter the hive needs sunlight to warm them on sunny days, allowing them to clean the hive and forage when possible.
Also, if you were thinking of having the hive in one spot in your yard for summer, and another for winter, you should know you can’t just move the hive from one place to another. You can move hives from one location to another in your yard in one of two way. You can move a hive by moving the hive at least three miles away and leaving it there for a couple of weeks, then moving it to the new location in your yard, or by moving the hive no more than three feet a day.
I recommend picking a spot in your yard that gets morning sun, and afternoon shade in the summer, and as much sun as possible in the winter. The corner of a fence can be good, especially if it helps shield the hive from winter winds. For the stealth factor, movable board fence panels and set them around the hive to make a “bee corral.” They don’t have to be fenced in tight, just enough to block or break up the view.
If you are concerned about your neighbors, make sure your fence panels on the side with your neighbors is at least six feet tall. That way, when the bees fly across your neighbors yard they’re less likely to run into your neighbors. Your can even have summer panels that are higher, and winter panels that allow more sun to reach the hive.
Another tip, consider making the summer panels that sit directly in front of the hive of a wooden frame with fabric that will move with the wind. The bees will become accustomed to the movement in front of the hive and be less aggressive if something, such as you and the lawn mower, pass across their field of vision.
I used to have 12 hives in my suburban backyard, and with some of the ideas above had no problems with my neighbors.
http://www.fordshoneyfarm.com/nucs.html
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To overwinter a hive (nuc) of bees two primary things are food and a sufficient number to keep the bees warm.When the temperatures go below 50F the bees tend to begin a process of collecting in a football shaped mass. In the center is the queen bee and food and a place for the eventual eggs and larva. The bees ,by swarming together and shaking can maintain a 92F temperature within the ball all winter long even at =60F. If the temperature falls, first the eggs and larva perish. If it continues to fall the bees and the queen perish. Yes a nuc can make it here in Indiana with enough bees and food to make it. A shortage of either and the hive is doomed. Get in touch with your local beekeepers organization or your local county agent. they will give you details for your specific area. Edited after Jamie and Don checked in.
They both have terrific answers also. Nice to see such well informed answers about bees.
Indiana beekeeper.
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I’ve got a Kenya top-bar observation hive whose total size is roughly comparable to a single 10-frame deep hive body (which would be comparable to 2 nucs), and it has made it through only 1 of three winters that I had it. However, I didn’t do any swarm management with that hive, and both years that it died over winter they swarmed in late August/early September, so they went into winter with a really small population. If you can get them to start their winter with enough honey and bees, then they’ll probably be fine in the nuc. Just be sure the extra nucs stacked on top are loaded with honey; otherwise they just pose an extra heating burden on the bees with no benefit. As soon as the weather starts to improve in spring, it’s a good idea to check their food supply to see if you need to feed them; every winter hive death I’ve experienced happened during that last fluke blizzard in late March/early April when the bees are gearing up for another season, and possibly could have been prevented with early March feeding.
Another answer disapproved of the metal storage shed idea, but if you live in a windy area, it would be better to sacrifice sun exposure in exchange for wind protection. If you don’t get much wind anyway, then I’d say leave the hive where it sits; that’s less work for you and less stress for the bees.
After the first time the observation hive died, a swarm did move in on its own the following spring. However, I tried leaving another hive vacant with the same hope, and wax moths moved in. So you could leave a hive open for a swarm to occupy, but if it has drawn out comb, you run a risk of wax moth infestation.
Note that you won’t have guaranteed survival in a nuc, stack of nucs, or full size hive body. Winters are rough on bees, and there’s a chance of not making it no matter what the beekeeper does. However, if you’ve got a strong hive and stack plenty of honey on it, you bees will be off to as good a start as you can give them and will have a fairly high chance of survival.
PA beekeeper
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